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Monday, August 29, 2011

Think Pink - A woman should be pink and cuddly for a man.

I was driving to work and, out of the blue, I thought to myself . . . "why is pink considered a girl color?" So, now endeavor to uncover the mystery.

Pink is soft and sublime, so pink is for girls, right? So what does that make me. I'm pretty sure I'm a girl but I am neither soft nor sublime . . . I'm more crusty and obnoxious. But that's neither here nor there.

Anyhoo . . . as it turns out, pink and blue have only recently been assigned to girl and boy; recent being a relative term.

Thomas Gainsborough, English portrait and landscape painter in the late 18th century painted men, women, boys and girls is what would be considered clashing gender colors . . . at this point in history the color stereotypes had yet to be established. You’re probably familiar with Blue Boy . . . but did you know that he also did a painting titled Pink Boy?

It seems that assigning the colors to gender is a later 20th century happenstance . . . as late as the 1950’s. In fact, there was a time not too long ago that the opposite was true . . . as recently as the early 1900’s

Red was considered a fierce color . . . the color of warriors. So, it would make sense that since pink is a watered down version of red that it would be associated with boys . . . the warriors to come.

At the same time, blue was considered delicate and dainty . . . also, considered the color associated with the Virgin Mary . . . thus, more appropriate for girls.

If you take a look back . . . American didn’t have this color association for boys and girls. In fact, in the early 1800’s, boys and girls were dressed alike from birth into early childhood. They were typically dressed in long white cotton “gowns” and as they grew older more appropriate clothing was available to allow for more mobility in toddlers. But, the same outfits were still considered appropriate for either sex.

This change seems to have come about after World War II when blue was used extensively for men's uniforms; therefore, blue became associated masculinity.

A campaign launched in the 1940's encouraged women to “Think Pink”. In what I think was a misguided attempt to make women conform to what society expected of the perfect specimen of femininity and womanhood.

And here we are today . . . girls pink / boys blue. Some people actually believe that if you dress a boy in pink or purple that it will somehow influence their child’s sexuality.

Well, I may not be into pink . . . I'm not sure I even own any pink clothes . . . but I do have a pink gun. :P

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Cher's Beefy Bruschetta

6 Roma Tomatoes, diced

1/2 Vidalia Onion, chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, chopped

6 Tablespoons Olive Oil, separated

1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

3 tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil

1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Cracked Pepper

4 Slices Leftover Roast Beef, sliced thin

1/4 Cup Fresh Shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

Whisk together chopped garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, and basil. When combined slowly drizzle in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil.

Add tomatoes and onion. Let sit for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Mix in sliced roast beef and cheese.

Top with tomato mixture and sprinkle on a little cheese. Turn off the heat and cover to allow the cheese to melt a little.